1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light energy conversion system and, more particularly, to a light energy conversion system which converts light energy into electrical energy and electrolyzes an aqueous solution by the electrical energy to generate oxygen and hydrogen gases.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore there have been proposed various light energy conversion systems of this type, which are usually provided with a semiconductor photoelectric conversion structure for converting light energy into electrical energy, an electrolyzer provided separately of the semiconductor photoelectric conversion structure and comprising a redox reaction chamber containing an aqueous solution, for electrolyzing the aqueous solution by the electrical energy to generate oxygen and hydrogen gases and first and second electrodes held in contact with the aqueous solution in the redox reaction chamber, and first and second connecting means for electrically interconnecting a pair of electrodes of the semiconductor photoelectric conversion structure and the first and second electrodes of the electrolyzer.
Such prior art light energy conversion systems are bulky as a whole because the photoelectric conversion semiconductor structure and the electrolyzer are provided separately of each other.
Furthermore, the conventional systems require the first and second electrodes in contact with the aqueous solution contained in the redox reaction chamber of the electrolyzer and necessitate the first and second connecting means for electrically connecting the semiconductor photoelectric conversion structure to the electrodes held in contact with the aqueous solution contained in the redox reaction chamber of the electrolyzer. Accordingly, the prior art light energy conversion systems are disadvantageous in that they involve the use of a large number of parts and require much time for electrically connecting the semiconductor photoelectric conversion structure to the electrodes held in contact with the aqueous solution in the redox reaction chamber.